Great Lakes Master Diver Specialty

The Great Lakes Master Diver Specialty is not “taken” — it’s EARNED.

The Great Lakes are home to some of the most well-preserved shipwrecks in the world. Cold, fresh water has kept these vessels remarkably intact — some for over a century — creating an unparalleled underwater museum spanning five lakes and thousands of square miles. The Great Lakes Master Scuba Diver Program takes you across all five Great Lakes, building your knowledge of their geological history, ecological challenges, and the ships that sailed — and sank — on their waters.

This is not a casual certification. Through classroom presentations, independent wreck research, confined water skill training, and 20 open water dives across all five Great Lakes, you will develop a deep, firsthand connection to these extraordinary bodies of water and the shipwrecks they contain.

The Program

The Great Lakes Master Scuba Diver rating requires successful completion of all six Great Lakes Specialties. There is no time limit — complete them at your own pace.

Five Lake Wreck Diver Specialties

Each lake specialty includes classroom or online presentations covering the lake’s geology, ecology, shipping history, and marine preserves; independent research into specific shipwrecks; confined water skill reviews; and four open water dives on at least two different wrecks within the lake’s underwater preserves.

Invasive Species Specialty

Great Lakes Invasive Species Specialty

Capstone Certification

The Great Lakes Master Scuba Diver certification is awarded upon completion of all five lake specialties and the Invasive Species specialty. No additional coursework required.

Prerequisites

To begin any Great Lakes Specialty, a diver must:

Be at least 15 years old
Hold a PADI Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent from another training organization)
Hold a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification (or equivalent from another training organization)
Complete confined water training

By the Numbers

6 specialties completed
5 Great Lakes dived
20+ open water dives on shipwrecks across all five lakes
10+ wrecks independently researched and documented
Classroom training covering the geology, ecology, and maritime history of every Great Lake

When you earn the Great Lakes Master Scuba Diver rating, you join a select group of divers who have experienced the Great Lakes not as a single destination, but as a connected system — each lake with its own character, its own challenges, and its own stories preserved beneath the surface.